CIRCUS TENT FALLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18292, 8 January 1923, Page 7

CIRCUS TENT FALLS.

RESULT OF HEAVY GALE. AUDIENCE ENVELOPED. SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED. While Wirth's Circus was performing in Ballarat on December 23, a terrific wind storm struck the tent told completely demolished it. The wind had been blowing with some violence all the evening, and shortly after half-past 9 o'clock fears were entertained that the centre of the tent would come down. It was quickly made taut again, and. the performance was proceeded with._ About a quarter of an hour later the wind gained a velocity of 60 miles an hour, according to the official record of Mr. John Brittain, at the Mount Pleasant Observatory. Suddenly a gust swept across the tent, the sides of which swayed and flapped in an ominous manner. A few seconds later a stout rope near the main entrance snapped like a piece of siring; The extra strain proved too much for the other supports, and the western side of tho tent blew in with a loud report. The huge spread of canvas lifted in tho air like a big umbrella, and then swept over the arena, dragging everything with it. In a moment a scene of great excitement ensued. The canvas was-blown across to the eastern side and fell on the tiers of seats, which were crowded with spectators. Heavy timbers collapsed, and one of them descended on the staging," smashing through it, and sending the people on it struggling to the ground. Wild screams were heard, but there was not nearly as much uproar as might have been expected, the audience evidently being stunned by the suddenness of the accident. Those who were free of the canvas immediately made a rush for safety, but a stampede was averted by cries to the crowd to keep still. The cries were obeyed with wonderful promptness, and lights were obtained, the electric lighting having failed when the tent 1 collapsed. The circus attendants at once hastened to release the people who were caught under the canvas. About 20 persons were injured in tho vicinity of where the seating had been smashed, but none of them seriously. One man had his forehead cut to the bone by the jagged end of a broken seat, another had the palm of his hand torn open, and a dozen or more sustained cuts and bruises. A woman who wis near the exit was struck by another falling piece of timber, and was crushed to the ground. She was taken to a doctor, who found that she had slight concussion and had been injured on the hip and knee. Quite a number of women fainted, and others became hysterical. As soon as the crowd had cleared away from the arena, there was a general inquiry for missing property. Considering all the 'circumstances, the greatest astonishment is expressed that nobody was killed or seriously injured.